The invention relates to a filling device for cartridges with an annular outlet opening inside a cartridge neck, in the centre of which there is a fixed centre element, comprising a valve cap that is shiftable disposed on the neck which, in a first position into which the valve cap is pretensioned, covers over the annular outlet opening by means of an inwardly projecting annular flange and, in a second position, uncovers the outlet opening.
The invention relates in particular to a filling device for valve cartridges of the type described in DE 197 05 201 C1. Cartridges are used to hold printing inks for printing machines, as well as other pasty materials too, such as silicon and adhesives etc. Said cartridge has a valve cap which is disposed so that it can be displaced longitudinally along the neck of the cartridge, and which opens or closes an annular outlet opening of the cartridge by means of an annular, inwardly projecting edge flange. The valve cap is pretensioned to adopt the closed position and hence it opens automatically when a pressure of sufficient magnitude is exercised by a piston disposed in the cartridge, and closes automatically in the absence of this pressure.
Prior art filling devices for cartridges which operate on an industrial scale are very complicated and expensive, and hence are only financially viable when there are a large number of cartridges to be filled consecutively with the same pasty mass. Only large manufacturers of inks or adhesives meet these prerequisites. To quote just one example, filling cartridges with special colours are not, therefore, a very attractive proposition for large ink manufacturers who use industrial filling technology because the users only require small batches. Furthermore, it is also very difficult for large ink manufacturers to respond flexibly to urgent inquiries.